Episode 258
Introduction The confrontation with Sada Sada ends with the Yorozuya, Tsukuyo, and Nobume framed and jailed. Thanks to the Shinsengumi, the five decide to again meet the former shogun, this time as a rebellious force. Plot Horrified at knocking out Shige Shige and worse still, that his uncle, Sada Sada decided now to visit, Gintoki and Nobume decide to flee. Tsukuyo stops them and demands that they help her pretend that Shige Shige is still awake as it's the perfect opportunity to talk to the older man. Meanwhile, Isaburo involves himself in the Kick the Can game and finds the others. He reveals that Maizo was an advisor to Sada Sada, lost an arm for his loyalty and was partially responsible for helping Sada Sada become the 13th Shogun, which included using Yoshiwara. Maizo interrupts and takes Soyo away, asking Isaburo to escort the visitors out the palace. Gintoki pretends to be Shige Shige while Tsukuyo and Nobume pretend to be hired courtesans. Sada Sada tells his "nephew" that the Mimawarigumi were here to monitor them since there is a secret war in the bakufu between the Tokugawa faction and the Hitotsubashi faction and the killed officials were all from the Hitotsubashi. As the wealthy police force had ties to the Hitotsubashi, they had decided to watch the primary suspects, the Tokugawa faction. The trio's cover is nearly blown by Gintoki but Sada Sada easily brushes it off, warning "Shige Shige" about getting involved with courtesans. Tsukuyo takes this opportunity to ask him about Suzuran. At the same time, Kagura and Shinpachi also asks Isaburo about the connection. He reveals that Yoshiwarwa used to be also a social gathering place for government officials, meaning others were also smitten with her. Both men reveal that Suzuran was used as a tool to kill Sada Sada's enemies and Isaburo warns the teens that they were dealing with a dangerous man... just before he is stabbed from behind. The two groups are then surrounded as Sada Sada (revealing he wasn't fooled) decides to jail them for the attacks, including Isaburo's, where it's implied that he was behind them. During that evening, Hijikata and Kondou walk towards the jail where the murderers he heard were placed. The Shinsengumi replaced the Mimawarigumi as protection detail and Isaburo fights for his life with his wound. But Hijikata grows suspicious of how the criminals will be executed tomorrow with no investigation, suspecting that they were hiding something. The duo decides to meet the criminals first... and are horrified to see it was Gintoki. Okita tells Gintoki that they picked the wrong enemy to confront and gleefully mocks the fact that Nobume was in jail as well. Shinpachi agrees with Okita's words and Tsukuyo apologies for believing that Suzuran's promise man would return when it was the complete opposite. She was forced to stay in Yoshiwara to survive. Maizo pleads to Shige Shige to free the prisoners as he believes they did no wrong, but Shige Shige could not as the only witness was his uncle, who arrives and berates Maizo for defying him. He tells his nephew that he will take care of everything. Okita tells Hijikata and Kondou everything that happened from Gintoki but Kondou and Hijikata immediately devolve into an argument about what to do with the illegal things their superior had done. Which in turn, became an infighting brawl with the Shinsengumi. The prisoners see that Soyo had sneaked into the building supposedly to free them, but it turns out that she simply wanted company to sleep. She decides to tell a story that Maizo told her years before, about a lord, his princess wife and the lord's retainer. Although the beautiful princess loved her husband, he instead used and caged her, forcing her to do bad things. The retainer stayed by her side to comfort her and as a result they both fell in love with each other. But later, the lord, Sada Sada, commanded his retainer to kill the princess, revealed to be Suzuran. Caught between his loyalty to his lord and the love of a woman, the retainer decide to create a lover's pact with Suzuran to escape together. Unfortunately, Sada Sada knew of their forbidden love, cuts off the retainer's pact arm, and mocked him for breaking his promise since if he decided to meet her, she will be killed. The retainer promised himself that he will find a way to meet Suzuran again and so continues on working for Sada Sada. In the present, Sada Sada tells this retainer, Rotten Maizo, that the dying Suzuran still lives in Yoshiwara. He decides to let Maizo meet her... by him committing seppuku for allowing the "criminals" into the palace. Back in jail, Tsukuyo interrupts Soyo's story as everyone who overheard (including the Shinsengumi) had realized the connection. Shinpachi asks Soyo to open their cell as the Shinsengumi had thrown the keys inside the building when they pretended to fight as a distraction to allow the princess inside. Kondou opens the building's door to give the group back their weapons and allows them to go confront Sada Sada. Nobume tells the cops that they must be careful as they have no allies in the palace, culminating in her and Okita killing two assassins that belongs to Sada Sada. The palace guards sound the alarm of the group's escape with one of them informing Sada Sada and Shige Shige in hiding, who overheard the two older men's conversation. The Yorozuya, Tsukuyo, and Soyo stand on a rooftop, amused in the fact that they were starting a rebellion just for an old woman. Tsukuyo apologizes for getting them caught up in Yoshiwara affairs again, but Gintoki responds they were already involved thanks to the promise. Tsukuyo decides that they should give another promise to each other to stay alive, culminating in Gintoki, Shinpachi, Kagura, and Tsukuyo wrapping each other's hair strands around their fingers. Characters * Sakata Gintoki * Kagura * Shimura Shinpachi * Tsukuyo * Mimawarigumi ** Sasaki Isaburo ** Imai Nobume * Shinsengumi ** Kondou Isao ** Hijikata Toushirou ** Okita Sougo ** Yamazaki Sagaru * Tokugawa Soyo * Rotten Maizou * Tokugawa Shige Shige * Tokugawa Sada Sada * Suzuran Trivia Category:Episodes